# Orca CLI

> Operate Orca-managed worktrees, folder contexts, terminals, repos, automations, artifacts, skill sharing, worktree comments, and Orca's embedded browser through the `orca` CLI. Use when the user says "$orca-cli", "Orca worktree", "child worktree", "spawn codex/claude in a worktree", "read/wait/send Orca terminal", "handoff" / "handover" / "give this to another agent", "Orca browser", "orca artifacts", or "share skills". Prefer it over raw git worktree, ad hoc PTYs, or Computer Use when Orca state is involved. Use Computer Use only for external windows or desktop UI that needs OS-level control, and Playwright or CDP for external pages.

- Skill: `stablyai/orca-cli` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds add stablyai/orca-cli`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/stablyai/orca-cli/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: AI & ML
- Author: stablyai (https://skillmd.com/u/stablyai)
- Updated: 2026-09-09
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/stablyai/orca-cli

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# Orca CLI

This discovery stub loads the version-matched guide from the Orca executable used for this session.

## Resolve the CLI for this session

Choose the executable once and reuse it for every later command:

- If the `ORCA_CLI_COMMAND` environment variable is set, use its value. Orca exports this
  for managed WSL sessions.
- Otherwise, in a dev checkout whose session exposes `ORCA_DEV_REPO_ROOT`, use `orca-dev`.
- Otherwise, on Linux outside an Orca-managed terminal, use `orca-ide`. Never run bare
  `orca` there — outside Orca's terminals it normally resolves to the
  GNOME Orca screen reader (`/usr/bin/orca`) and starts speech on the user's machine.
- Otherwise, use `orca`.

Below, `ORCA` is a placeholder for the executable you resolved. Substitute it before
running anything; do not create a shell variable or run `ORCA` literally. This works the
same way in POSIX shells, PowerShell, and cmd.exe.

If the selected executable cannot run, report its exact error and stop. Do not fall through
to another executable, which could silently target a different Orca build.

## Load the version-matched guide before running Orca commands

```text
ORCA skills get orca-cli
```

Prefer `--json`. Use the selected executable's `--help` for commands or flags the guide does
not cover. If a command reports that Orca is not running, start it with `ORCA open --json`
and retry. If `skills get` is unknown, explain that updating Orca restores the guide; use
`--help` for read-only discovery and do not guess unsupported commands.